A Complete Guide to International Airlines' Coronavirus Policies

The global situation concerning the new coronavirus outbreak, or COVID-19, is changing rapidly every day. Guidance on where to travel and whether airlines will be flying to certain destinations around the world is evolving hour to hour.

The majority of airlines are waiving change and cancellation fees for at least the next couple of months, or in some cases, through the end of the year. Many carriers are also offering the ability to cancel upcoming flights online in exchange for a refund in the form of a travel voucher. That's a convenient option for those interested in an airline travel credit or who want to cancel a flight that is still scheduled to operate. But it's important for passengers to know that in certain cases, they may be entitled to a cash refund instead. According to regulations from the Department of Transportation, if any airline operating within the U.S. cancels or significantly changes the timing of a flight, it must offer customers a cash refund, not just a travel credit.

Here is the latest information from airlines around the world on where they are flying, what routes have been halted, and how to get a refund on any impending international trip that needs to be postponed or canceled.

Air New Zealand

The Kiwi carrier has said that it will reduce its overall capacity by 85 percent in the coming months. Air New Zealand will continue to announce route suspensions as they take place, and it has already said that its halting long-haul flights between Auckland and Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Tokyo Narita, Honolulu, Denpasar, and Taipei from March 30 to June 30. It is also suspending its London to Los Angeles service through June 30.

Air New Zealand also says its Tasman and Pacific Island networks will see significant capacity reductions between April and June but hasn't yet announced those schedule changes. As far as domestic flights, those will also be trimmed by about 30 percent in April and May, but no routes within the country will be fully suspended.

For any flights that need to be changed, the airline is suspending most fees. "For travel up to 30 June, you can make one change to your existing booking and we'll waive the change fee and service fee, however fare difference may apply. Alternatively, we can hold your fare in credit for 12 months from the day you cancel your booking," Air New Zealand's COVID-19 FAQs page says. The airline also says that all fares originally booked as nonrefundable remain nonrefundable at this time.

Alaska Airlines

For its cheapest fare class, the "saver fare," purchased through April 30, 2020, originally for travel through February 21, 2021, Alaska Airlines is allowing cancellations for a refund in the form of a travel credit. Passengers with nonrefundable first-class or economy tickets (purchased in the same date range) can cancel for a refund in the form of a travel credit or make a one-time change for free, but travel must be completed by the end of February 2021. All changes must be made prior to the departure of the original flight.

Because of the amount of calls Alaska is getting to its reservations lines, the carrier is advising customers to cancel or change their bookings online. It has a helpful how-to page if you're not sure what changing a booking online entails.

All Nippon Airways

ANA has suspended the bulk of its flights to mainland China. It has also halted flights to India (Mumbai, Dehli, and Chennai), Seoul, Hong Kong, and Taipei. It has also greatly reduced its domestic flight schedule. The airline is offering free cancellations and one-time changes to flights to and from Japan, South Korea, China, and Italy that are booked for travel through April 30, and travel must take place on or before June 30. There are certain more specific date restrictions on some routes. Many tickets, including those to, from, and via airports in Japan issued by April 8, are eligible for refunds. For more details go to ANA's fee waiver page.

American Airlines

Among the U.S. carriers that have begun making massive flight suspensions is American Airlines, which recently said it will reduce its international flights by 75 percent into May and grounding its entire fleet of wide-body aircraft. On the chopping block are many flights to Europe; American has also halted all flights to and from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong until April 23 or 24, depending on the city pairs, and is stopping its route from Dallas-Fort Worth to Seoul, South Korea from March 4 to April 25.

The carrier has announced that it has extended its offer to waive all change fees for all new bookings through May 31. The airline says the offer applies to any of its published fares and changes must be made at least 14 days before travel. On top of waiving change fees for new bookings, American is also eliminating fees for changes on reservations purchased on or before April 7 for travel through September 30. Passengers have until December 31, 2021, to complete travel. Go to its travel alerts page for specific information on the restrictions for changes.

British Airways

For bookings made between March 3 and May 31 for travel through the end of the year, British Airways is allowing fee-free date changes. If passengers within that same travel window want to change their destinations, they can request their ticket be converted to a travel voucher and rebook using that credit (note: this must be done by filling out a claim form online and processed by an airline employee; do not cancel through Manage My Booking online). Passengers who wish to cancel can also claim a voucher for the value of their ticket through an online application. Vouchers must be used within one year of the departure date of the original flight. Customers whose flights have been canceled and do not want a voucher can call +44 (0)203 250 0145.

Cathay Pacific

The Hong Kong carrier is allowing unlimited changes with no fee for all tickets issued on or before March 23 for original travel through May 31. The deadline to rebook any new travel has been extended to March 31, 2021. Reservations can be changed online in the Manage Booking section. Refund requests are also able to be made in the Manage Booking section for all flights purchased on or before March 23 for original travel from March 17 through May 31. Additional flexibility is available for new tickets issued from March 9 up to April 20, with the free and unlimited changes able to be made through February 28, 2021.

Delta Air Lines

Delta is making sweeping cuts to its route network, with more than 80 percent of its international flights suspended over the next three months until demand rebounds. Among the flights it has halted are all of its flights to continental Europe and many to Asia. The airline is advising affected customers to log in to the "My Trip" section of its website to see their options, which "include rebooking on alternate Delta flights, rebooking on flights after April 30, rebooking on alternate or partner airlines, refunds or contacting us to discuss additional options."

Delta is also waiving change fees for two years (through May 31, 2022) for passengers with flights that were purchased before April 3 for travel in April and May 2020. The two-year travel window also applies to passengers with eCredits or canceled flights from March, April, and May. The Atlanta–based carrier is also waiving change fees preemptively for all international flights booked through May 31.

Emirates

Following a ban on most passenger flights entering, exiting, or transiting through the UAE as of March 25, Emirates has canceled all of its passenger flights. The grounding will last for at least two weeks and seems to be stretching longer. The airline is allowing customers affected by the travel restrictions to rebook for free or get a refund in the form of money or a travel voucher.

Etihad

On March 23, Etihad suspended all transit services through its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport. "Any passengers booked on connecting flights via Abu Dhabi to anywhere else on the Etihad network will not be permitted to travel," the airline said in a release. "Etihad is attempting to contact these guests to advise them of the development."

Etihad is also subject to the UAE flight ban that takes effect on March 25. Since that date, it has likewise suspended all passenger flights for at least 14 days in accordance with the ban, which does seem to be stretching beyond the original two weeks. Customers will be notified if their flight is canceled. On April 5, the carrier began operating a small number of outbound flights to repatriate foreign nationals. The airline had previously introduced an Etihad credit program to allow all customers booked to travel before June 30 can cancel for free and receive a credit for future travel.

"You may also be entitled to a refund if you’re due to travel on a route that has an extended period of cancellation," the airline's COVID-19 page says. To make changes, Etihad says to call its contact center within 48 hours of your scheduled flight.

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian stopped “most long-haul flights” to both the mainland U.S. and international destinations on March 26 as new quarantine rules went into effect in the islands. Hawaiian says at least one daily flight from Honolulu to the mainland (Los Angeles) will stay operational, as will one flight to America Samoa. For affected customers, Hawaiian is giving fliers one-time fee-free changes for travel through the end of the year or the option to cancel for a travel voucher or refund.

Japan Airlines

JAL has suspended or reduced a significant amount of international flights, with routes throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, Taipei, Honolulu, Seoul, Bangkok, and Delhi all affected. The airline is allowing refunds and ticket changes for most upcoming flights this spring to and from Japan, mainland China, and Hong Kong, though date restrictions vary.

JetBlue

JetBlue is waiving all change and cancellation fees for passengers traveling through May 31, 2020. Those passengers can rebook for travel through January 4, 2021. The New York–based carrier also says that for new flights purchased between March 27 to April 30 for travel through January 2, 2021, all cancellations and changes would be free. (The fees suspension still applies for bookings made between February 27 and March 5, 2020 for travel through June 1, 2020, and for bookings made between March 6 and March 26, 2020 for travel through September 8, 2020.)

The airline also said that it plans to reduce at least 40 percent of its flights this spring, and from April 15 to June 10, JetBlue plans to significantly reduce operations in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., leaving only a critical number of flights for passengers who absolutely must fly.

Korean Air

For most of its flights from Seoul to America—including San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Honolulu, Dallas, and others—as well as destinations in Southeast Asia and Europe, Korean Air has suspended flights or is operating a reduced schedule.

The airline is waiving fees for any changes to international flights booked on or before April 1 with original travel dates between February 2 and June 30. Tickets must be fully unused, and travel can be changed through February 28, 2021, for travel also through February 2021. Fare differences will also be waived as long as the new flight is booked in the same cabin class and between the same cities.

Lufthansa Group

Lufthansa is planning some of the most extensive flight cuts in the industry for its global route network and that of its subsidiaries. The airline group said in a statement it would be reducing its flights by up to 50 percent "in the coming weeks," for all airlines in its network, which include Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Air Dolomiti. It hasn't yet released which routes will be halted as part of the mass reductions. Lufthansa is also examining the possibility of temporarily grounding its entire fleet of Airbus A380s (the carrier flies 14 of the superjumbo aircraft) due to sinking demand.

Additionally, the carrier is waiving all change fees for any new flights purchased to any destination through April 19. These new reservations will have a free one-time rebooking for any travel date through April 30, 2021. Changes, however, must be made by August 31, 2020. The airline group is also letting passengers who have already purchased change their itineraries at no charge, regardless of the original fare restrictions. That policy also applies to fares booked through April 19 for travel through April 30, 2021 and allows for a rebooking on any date through April 30, 2021. The carrier is offering a discount of 50 euros if the new departure date is on or before December 31, 2020. Any changes to existing reservations must also be made by August 31, 2020.

Norwegian

Norwegian has slashed 85 percent of its flight capacity, leading to 4,500 cancellations, including routes between the U.S. and Europe. Norwegian is reaching out to affected customers and is offering refunds.

For flights that are still operating, the airline is allowing one fee-free change for its LowFare, LowFare+, and Premium tickets booked through May 31. The tickets must have been for travel completed on or before November 30, and the new flights must take place before that date as well. For canceled flights, passengers can request a cash refund, or a refund in Norwegian CashPoints, on top of which the airline will add 20-percent more points as a bonus.

Qantas

Australia's flag carrier has announced a suspension of all international flights, including those operated by its subsidiary Jetstar. Routes will continue through the end of March to repatriate Australian citizens, then be halted until at least the end of May, Qantas said in a statement. The airline said that any international booking will be automatically canceled and converted into a travel credit that can be used anywhere in its network, and it is reaching out to affected customers starting March 23.

Qantas also says that passengers on flights to areas with immigration restrictions due to COVID-19 could be eligible for fee waivers, but is not publishing a list of eligible fliers. Instead, it's asking customers to fill out a fee waiver form or contact its customer service to hear their options.

Qatar Airlines

With one of the more flexible policies amid the coronavirus outbreak, Qatar is offering passengers on all flights—or customers who will be booking flights—through September 30 the chance to change their travel dates or exchange their ticket for a travel voucher that would be valid for one year. Reservations must be changed at least three days before departure. Passengers on flights that are canceled or altered can rebook with new dates or destinations, request a travel voucher, or opt for a cash refund, as long as the ticket was issued on or before September 30 for travel on or before that same date.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore has announced that is will indefinitely suspend 96 percent of its flights and ground 138 of its 147 aircraft. For all tickets issued on or before March 15 for travel up to May 31, Singapore Airlines is waiving the rebooking fees. "Customers can cancel their
existing flight itineraries, retain the value of their tickets and rebook their travel at a later date, when they are able to firm up their new travel plans," says the airline's current policy. "The new flight itinerary should be completed by 31 March 2021."

Tap Air Portugal

The Lisbon-based carrier has canceled thousands of flights through May and is making sharp reductions across routes that are still operating. "Customers affected by flight cancellations in this period should visit refunds.flytap.com, to obtain a voucher for the total amount paid for the ticket," the airline says. Tap Air Portugal is also allowing one-time changes to reservations for no fee. Tickets for travel through May 31 are eligible to be rescheduled for travel starting before the end of the year. Changes must be made at least 24 hours before travel. For more information, go to Tap's COVID-19 news page.

Turkish Airlines

For all international flights that are purchased from March 21 through April 21, Turkish Airlines will waive its fee for any one-time change. It can also be changed to an open-ended ticket, but that change must take place before the day of the original flight. Any new trips, however, must be completed on or before February 28, 2021.

The airline is also waiving fees for one-time changes to existing reservations booked on or before March 20 for travel through the end of the year. Fare differences won't be charged when the new booking is in the same cabin class. All travel for these fares must also be completed by February 28, 2021.

United Airlines

United has announced that it will suspended 90 percent of its international flights and reduce 42 percent of its network throughout the U.S. and Canada. For any passengers scheduled to fly through the end of the year, the airline is allowing changes at no cost, as long as any changes are made by April 30. That policy is in addition to allowing anyone purchasing new international or domestic airfares between March 3 and April 30 to change the dates and times of their flights with no charge for up to a year after the ticket was issued. Passengers who cancel their flights can request an electronic travel certificate for the value of their ticket, which will remain valid for two years after it is issued.

Airport and passenger restrictions in the U.S.

President Donald Trump has instituted a ban on many travelers from Europe, the U.K., and Ireland. The new regulations prohibit travelers who have been in any of the 26 countries in Europe's Schengen Area, the U.K., or Ireland within the last 14 days from entering the U.S. if they are not American citizens or permanent residents, with a few exceptions for immediate family members. Travelers arriving in the U.S. from Iran and mainland China have already been subjected to the same regulations.

American citizens and permanent residents arriving from these destinations will also be screened at certain airports for symptoms of the virus. Those airports include major hubs like Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Newark, New York JFK, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. If a U.S. citizen who has recently been to Europe, China, or Iran has a flight route into the U.S. that does not include one of the approved airports designated for COVID-19 screenings, they will be re-routed to a hub that offers a symptom checkpoint.